glances at me, clearly hearing the anxiety straining her mother’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Ray! He’s...he’s missing, dear.”
My hand balls into a fist at my side.
“Missing? What do you mean?” Valerie asks, her voice jumping an octave.
“I called him after you’d been here to see me, asked him why he never told me you’d been injured, and he said he’d be right over. But he only came for a few hours and left again, and that was days ago. He’s not answering his phone. It goes straight to voicemail. I called Sammie, and she says he hasn’t been in the office. Something’s happened to him, Valerie. Something dreadful. I just know it!”
Fuck.
She’s right about the dreadful part. Only question is whether it’s bad news for him, or more ugly shit he’s cooking up for us.
More importantly, my gut tells me Mrs. Gerard isn’t safe.
Not anymore.
Rushing over, I grab Valerie’s hand as I whisper, “Is this a landline?”
She looks up, her eyes wide, and nods.
I hold a finger to my lips. The line’s bugged. I’m sure of it.
They can’t trace the location of Val’s phone, but they can hear every damn word. “Does she have a cell phone? Do you know the number?”
She nods slowly.
“Valerie! Did you hear me?” Mrs. Gerard cuts in again. “We have to go to the police and—”
“I heard you, but I’m picking up a lot of static. Hold on, call you right back.” Valerie hits the end button. “She sounds scared out of her mind, Flint. I don’t think it’s some kind of trick...even by Ray.”
“Do you know a place where we can meet her? One she’ll know without you saying the name and tipping off anybody else on the line. Somewhere public with plenty of people?” I have no doubt Lorelei will probably be followed, but at least we could get there first, and find a way to get her out unseen.
“Yes. This little bakery in Honolulu. It’s the only place she can buy the cookies she likes. She usually sends her maid to get them, but...she’ll know what I’m talking about without even mentioning the name.”
“Perfect. Call her back. Tell her to meet us there in an hour,” I say, while texting my own mother, telling her I need her to come back and take Bryce to her house.
The stakes are too fucking high to risk anyone else getting hurt.
Val dials another number, and once again puts the call on speaker.
“Mother, it’s me,” she says as soon as Lorelei picks up.
“Why—”
“Mom, just listen. We’re going to buy cookies. Big honking chocolate macadamia nut monster cookies, your fave. Meet me there.”
“Cookies?! Oh, Valerie, didn’t you hear what I said about—”
“I heard you, loud and clear. Now, you hear. Cookies, Mother. Meet me there right away!” Val hangs up.
“Beautiful,” I tell her, then go to the back door and holler for Bryce.
He’s not happy to hear he’s going away with my mom again and possibly missing a swim lesson tomorrow, but he agrees when he finds out it’s so I can help Valerie.
My ma arrives shortly, and with a glowing smile, she doesn’t ask questions.
I know what she’s thinking.
We’re still celebrating our engagement and going at it like monkeys—I wish—but now’s not the time to explain how wrong she is. And there’s no sense in tipping her off.
Val thanks me for the quick thinking. She asks if I think Ray’s truly missing, or just with those men again, as we travel back across the island.
I admit that I’m not sure.
All signs point to him working with the Outfit. Hell, a few even hint there was some falling out. I remember what she said about her fateful trip on the yacht, how the goons thought he was double-crossing them.
Only thing certain is we’ve got a fucking mess on our hands. It pisses me off all over again that she’s been put in this place, betrayed by her brother.
“The bakery is over that way.” She points to the right as soon as we’re along one of the main busy arteries of downtown Honolulu. It’s a busy afternoon, plenty of tourists, and for once I’m grateful for the congestion.
“We’ll park near the back,” I say.
Val nods. “Good thinking.”
I park, and before we climb out, she puts on the oversized shades and hat, her usual disguise. The whole street swarms with people, surfers still in their swimsuits and beach bums carrying guitars, plenty of tourists from the mainland and Japan just starting to get their first taste of Aloha.
Val goes on